


I don't know when it began, but I love you

by wanderingwinds



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Fluff, My First Work in This Fandom, My first love but dramatised, i have no idea how this will go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29712216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingwinds/pseuds/wanderingwinds
Summary: Hermione never thought she would ever fall in love. Love felt so unreachable and far away.Never did she realize that the once she did, she would fall so deep.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Hermione Granger
Comments: 4
Kudos: 79





	1. Crepes and Time Differences

The first time Hermione gets into a relationship of sorts was not planned. A message in her inbox about a family recipe about crepes of all things could hardly have been a foreshadowing about her future of endearing comments, replies, and messages awaiting her in the morning. She doesn’t think about how much things in the recipe are loaded with lactose and how it would be such a pain to make it no matter how good it looks. Replying with an easy, “thanks for the recipe, I will try to make it someday :D ” was easier to not make a random ~~pretty~~ (like how can one’s eyes be that blue??) girl on the internet sad.

Maybe it was a French thing, to be flirtatious and all too nice to a stranger that you have barely interacted for less than 10 minutes.

**8:29pm - @fleurflowers sent a message:** “I’ll look forward to pictures of the crepes, I hope you enjoy them. Could I get your name? Surely you aren’t called @/bookwormofthecentury XD. If you don’t feel comfortable with giving me your name it is fine, you just look so pretty from your profile picture :p”

 **8.31pm - @fleurflowers sent a message:** “my name is Fleur, btw

Hermione just blinks at the notifications from her lock screen, before unlocking it, replying with a decidedly uncharacteristic cheeky message:

 **11.13pm- @bookwormofthecentury** sent a message: “Why Miss Fleur, am I seeing things, or are your flirting with me? I am Hermione, just saying.”

When Hermione does not get a reply in the next hour, she is sure that she has fucked it all up.

**12.21am** “Omg I must have read things wrong haven’t I?”

 **12.25am** “I am so sorry Miss Fleur, I didn’t mean to be such a creep. I should have known that someone as pretty as you couldn’t have been flirting with me.”

 **12.27am** “I understand if you’re uncomfortable and that you will never message me back again.”

 **12.31am** “Once again, I apologise.”

Her phone is silent for the next hour and the feeling of dread sets in further. As the time ticks by, exhausted, Hermione drifts off into an uneasy slumber. She fails to realise that Fleur’s latest message was 3 hours ago, and that it was already 1am on Fleur’s side of the world.

\---------

The next day, Hermione delves back into her books like the social hermit she is, losing herself in texts and anything to distract herself from the blue eyes and blonde hair that haunt her in her sleep.

Relatively speaking, if she needed to give herself a label on her sexuality, Hermione supposed she could be called a 100% aromantic/demisexual. Throughout her life, she witnessed her friends fall in love, fall out of love, and repeat. Somehow, it just never occurred to her that it was strange that she never once felt attracted to or loved someone.

Sighing, Hermione thought back to how this whole mess started.

**_A week before -_ **

_“What do you mean you don’t love me? We have been friends since first year, Hermione! Have you just been leading me on?”_

_“Sorry Ron, it’s just as I said, I have never loved you in a romantic way, it has always been in a brotherly way.” Hermione reasoned, trying to calm him down._

_“There must have been someone else. Is it Harry? Malfoy? How could you do this to me?”, his face was starting to purple, and she swore she could see steam rising from his ears._

_“Don’t be absurd Ronald. Harry has always been a brother to me, he has Ginny too. Remember? Your younger sister? Your only sister? Just to be clear, I have never fallen in love with anyone. There isn’t “someone else” like you said.” While the words were calmly delivered, anyone could see that Hermione’s anger was boiling beneath the surface, and they would be wise to steer clear of her at the moment._

_Too bad for the all too famous Weasley temper and stubbornness._

_“Are you seriously angry with me? You just led me on for 4 years Hermione. 4 years! You frigid bitch, makes sense that you have never fallen in love. NO ONE will love you, you cold hearted bitch!” Ron stomped out of the thankfully empty cafe, much like a petulant child that didn’t get what he wanted._

_It was moments like this Hermione saw the similarities between Ron and Malfoy, their childish behaviour was one of them. However, his words did strike a chord in her. Maybe it was strange that she had never fallen in love throughout her life. Maybe she was a cold-hearted bitch like Ron said._

_Rubbing her temples with her fingers, Hermione tried her best to will the incoming headache away._

An ethereal, other-worldly voice suddenly sounded on her left, “What’s wrong Hermione? There seems to be a high number of Nargles that have infested your head.”

Startled, she flinched, head swivelling to the left so quick that Hermione swore she heard it click. Blinking in surprise, Hermione came face to face with silverly-gray eyes that looked as if they could see her soul and inner thoughts, which always unsettled her.

“It’s nothing Luna, just deep in thought.”

“It does not seem like nothing, don’t worry though, you will find out soon that there is indeed someone there for you, maybe after some trials and troubles, but you will be alright. I find that making desserts is a quite soothing activity. They do say sweet things cheer people up.”

\------

And that was how Hermione found herself tweeting on her account:

 **8:01pm - @bookwormofthecentury tweeted:** “Anyone has any suggestions on what kind of desserts to make? Something simple and easy. A friend said that it would be good for me.”

 **8:20pm - @fleurflowers replied:** “Crepes? It’s really easy. I’ll DM you a recipe.”

And just like that, Hermione found a simple, if a little excessively detailed, crepe recipe waiting for her in her inbox, and well, the rest was history.

\--------

Closing her book in frustration from her inability to concentrate, Hermione slumped in her seat and opened the Twitter app, only to sit up quickly in the next moment, staring at her phone in shock.

 **@fleurflowers sent a message** :

 **8:11am** \- “I just woke up, your panicked messages are hilarious Hermione. Ah I was found out, you don’t mind do you? Me flirting with you that is?

 **8:12am** \- “Oh you find me pretty? I’m honoured. You’re really pretty too. ;)”

 **8:13am** \- “Hermione?”

 **8:15am** \- “You there?”

 **9:00am** \- “I am guessing you are still busy or asleep, it doesn’t seem like we are in the same time zone… Anyways, good morning to you, at least on my side :D”

It was already one in the afternoon. Fuck, she really needed to check her notifications and turn off “Do not disturb” more often.


	2. I suck at flirting™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione really sucks at flirting. But, practice always makes perfect right? Luckily for her, Fleur is here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi~ This is wanderingwinds. This work got more attention than I thought it would ;-; I am very touched.
> 
> Sorry in advance for the dialogue heavy writing style. But this is rather inevitable with the nature of an internet, long distance relationship. 
> 
> I seek your understanding :(

Hermione would like to reiterate once again that one’s intellect did not correlate to emotional stability. Why? That would be because she was staring at the DM between Fleur and her, unable to formulate a reply. Okay, not exactly. She had _ different responses, but the question would be which?

  1. Pretend she never said that Fleur was pretty: “Oh good morning. Or good afternoon actually. Sorry I didn’t check my phone.”
  2. Continue to flirt: “Oh good morning beautiful. Well, it is justified to be flustered when you think you just insulted a pretty woman.”



In her indecisiveness, Hermione had been staring her phone for 10 minutes. Slumped on the library table, Hermione, against her better judgement, she went with the second option. Psyching herself up (I mean talking to herself about how she is not a fucking coward), she clicked “send”.

Second guessing herself, she sent a follow up message,

 **1.33pm - @bookwormofthecentury sent a message:** “Can you tell how utter bad at flirting I am? If you do, please unsee, thank you, it’s my first time, be gentle.”

 **1.33pm - @bookwormofthecentury sent a message:** “That sexual innuendo was not intended.”

“UGH she must think I’m stupid!!!” Hermione muttered under her breath, slumping across the table once more. “Why do I do this to myself…. ;-;”

In her moment of self-depreciation, Hermione’s phone vibrated in her hand.

 **1.34pm - @fleurflowers replied:** “Your replies are so funny Hermione, it’s like I’m talking to a little hamster XD. Absolutely adorable. Don’t worry, I will be very gentle, you know, as gentle as one would be when they pat a hamster, hm? XD”

Now Fleur was just flat-out teasing her. Ugh, she’s glad she’s pretty, otherwise she would have been so mad.

 **1.35pm - @bookwormofthecentury replied:** “Ugh, I am not tiny!! Hamsters literally do nothing but just roll around in sawdust and wood shavings. If you must give me a spiritual animal, I insist that it should be an otter >:( “

 **1.35pm - @fleurflowers replied:** “Oh now your retort definitely tells me that you are tiny. How short are you?”

“I’m sorry I meant how tall are you :p”

 **1.36 pm - @bookwormofthecentury replied:** “OMG, I am NOT short, I’m 5’4, that is an average height in England, I refuse to be called short.”

 **1.37pm - @fleurflowers replied:** “Well, I’m 5’7… soooooo…… tout petit!” 

“Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I am actually on my way to another class, Until next time, petite loutre <3”

 **1.37pm - @bookwormofthecentury replied:** “Just because you’re tall and pretty… Have a good day Fleur **:** D”

Somehow, that single grey tick next to her message made her feel strangely empty and cold, as if a warm blanket had just been taken from her. Stop being delusional Hermione, it’s just a pretty girl, get your shit together, you have been doing just fine without a stranger’s correspondence for fucks sake.

“Well, at least she doesn’t think I’m a creep, I hope…. :/” Heart feeling a little lighter, Hermione put on her headphones, and focused on the textbook she was reading for research again.

It was fine being alone. Being alone meant not getting hurt, and that was just fine. Perhaps she felt some attraction to Fleur, but it was best not to get her hopes up. After all, nobody would love someone like her, a closed-off, antisocial, cold-hearted bitch.

* * *

3 hours into her study session, Hermione was disrupted by the notification bell that sounded through her headphones.

 **4.45pm - @fleurflowers sent a message:** “I am so glad that classes are over. I hate this professeur he absolutely sucks in both his teaching and personality, why the fuck is he teaching here.”

 **4.46pm - @bookwormofthecentury replied:** “I had my fair share of shitty professors who have no idea what they are doing, but yeah, life.”

 **4.46pm - @fleurflowers replied:** “Yeah, he is also homophobic as hell, I hate him.”

 **4.47pm - @bookwormofthecentury replied:** “Oh. Okay yeah, fuck him, he sucks balls (pun intended)”

 **4.48pm - @fleurflowers replied:** “Yup. He’s such a pain in the ass.

Without a follow up reply from Fleur, there was a sudden lull in the conversation. Shit, am I annoying her? Preparing to type an apology to Fleur, Hermione suddenly received a reply which made her delete her reply before she sent it.

**4.53pm - @fleurflowers replied:** “Are you part of the community? Or just a supporter?”

 **4.54pm - @bookwormofthecentury:** “… to be honest, I don’t really know? I have never fallen in love before in my life.”

“Yes, I’m 18 and I have never fallen in love. Sue me.”

 **4.55pm - @fleurflowers:** “I think it’s good! At least this means you have taste you know? That you don’t go around and have like 5-minute crushes”

 **4.55pm - @bookwormofthecentury:** “That’s a THING?! How does that even happen??”

 **4.56pm - @fleurflowers:** “Well, I don’t know either, thankfully. Can you just imagine how difficult it would be? Just think about having a crush on a lady you met on the sidewalk, but times 10 throughout the day.”

 **4.57pm - @bookwormofthecentury:** “Boy, I shudder to think of it. You just made me feel better about myself, thanks.”

 **4.58pm - @fleurflowers:** “You’re welcome cutie!”

 **4.59pm - @bookwormofthecentury:** “LOOK I am not cute. Just because I’m shorter than you, that does not correlate to cuteness.”

 **5.00pm - @fleurflowers:** “Okay, beautiful then?”

 **5.00pm - @bookwormofthecentury:** “You mean you??? I am like the human version of the colour beige, absolutely plain and average. You would be human embodiment of yellow though.”

 **5.00pm -** “You know, because of your bright personality”

 **5.01pm -** “It’s just my opinion from our conversation though.”

 **5.02pm -** “You are like the sun, very bright and cheerful”

 **5.03pm -** “Now, I am just rambling, I will shut up now.”

**5.03pm - @fleurflowers:** “*blushing face emoji* Your rambling is so CUTE and flattering Hermione. My ego is sufficiently fed for the day.”

**5.04pm - @bookwormofthecentury:** “I am so embarrassed… I want to bury myself in a hole now”

 **5.05pm - @fleurflowers:** “SEE! petite souris!

 **5.06pm - @bookwormofthecentury:** “*rolling eyes emoji* I’m gonna ignore you now /j”

On a whim, Hermione tweeted:

 ** _@bookwormofthecentury tweeted_** – “I recently met this woman on the Internet ( **@fleurflowers** ). She is pretty but do not be fooled, she is just a tall drink of water that teases the short people :/”

Checking her notifications, Hermione was met with 4 new messages and a reply from Fleur. Laughing to herself as she previewed the messages from the notification bar,

 **5.07pm - @fleurflowers:** “So cute!! I could just put you in my pocket (emoji)

 **5.08pm - @fleurflowers:** “Hermione?”

 **5.10pm - @fleurflowers:** “Noooooooooo come back, I’ll stop ☹”

 **5.10pm - @fleurflowers replied to your tweet:** “Petite loutre? Come back pls :(((”

* * *

Talking (texting) to Fleur was surprisingly easy for Hermione. For someone who hardly opened up to anyone, Fleur had an ability to just coax the most hidden details out of her. Like her insecurities, and the depth of her poor work-life balance.

 **@fleurflowers replied:** “What do you mean you work 10 hours a day Hermione?! THAT’S NOT HEALTHY! DON’T GET ME STARTED ON YOUR COFFEE ADDICTION”

 **@fleurflowers replied:** “You need healthier hobbies to keep yourself occupied, books, coffee and studies are not going to sustain you forever. :/”

Their conversation was a mixture of friendship concern, with a smattering of terms of endearment.

 **@bookwormofthecentury replied:** “You have so many nicknames for me and yet I don’t have any for you…”

“Princess? Darling? Baby? Babe? Cutie? Which do you prefer?”

**@fleurflowers replied:** “You just made me blush so hard…. .//-//.”

“I like baby and babe though. Princess is too much, maybe for special occasions ;p”

* * *

Eventually, the news of Hermione’s lactose intolerance made it into their conversations.

 **@bookwormofthecentury tweeted:** “Someone get me some coffee into my system please…. I’m dying. A flat white with almond milk thank you ;-;”

 **@moonthelune replied:** “I just told ginny to get you one."

 **@redridinghoodginny replied:** “Otw!”

 **@fleurflowers replied:** “You really should just sleep instead of just drinking coffee. Also, almond milk? Is this a preference? Or are you just healthy?”

**@bookwormofthecentury replied to @fleurflowers:** “Oh, I’m lactose intolerant.”

 **@fleurflowers replied to @bookwormofthecentury:** “WHAT? I EVEN SENT YOU THAT CREPE RECIPE, THAT WASN’T LACTOSE FREE.”

 **@bookwormofthecentury replied to @fleurflowers:** “I mean… *shrugs*”

* * *

**DMS**

**@fleurflowers sent you a message:** “EXPLAIN YOURSELF”

 **@bookwormofthecentury:** “well. It just never came up in conversation?”

 **@fleurflowers:** “THAT IS NOT A VALID EXCUSE HERMIONE” “omg, why did you just tell me?”

 **@bookwormofthecentury:** “??? I didn’t want to seem ungrateful???”

 **@fleurflowers:** “Baby, you are too nice for your own good sometimes”

* * *

However, despite a month’s worth of conversations, Hermione and Fleur had never once heard each other’s voice. Maybe it was just Hermione being paranoid and too insecure about her voice, she never ever extended an invite to Fleur to talk over Discord.

That was, until New Year’s Eve.

**@redridinghood tweeted:** “GET YOUR EARPHONES READY BITCHES. We have opened a Discord channel ( **link** ), so get in if you wanna spend new year’s eve with some of your online friends!!!”

 **@moonthelune replied:** “Finally, see you there!”

 **@hewhoneverdies replied:** “Ooo that seems cool, I'll go!!”

 **@ilovekrum replied:** “c u thr”

**@fleurflowers:** “How exciting! I’ll be there!”

Bugger it all to hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos and comment to leave your thoughts about it. 
> 
> I am rather shy to reply, but I do read them!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I don't know if this would ever be read, but this is my first work! 
> 
> I am just a casual writer, so I can't guarantee regular updates. Thank you for reading :D


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